Over the last decade, nonfood perennial crops have been increasingly prevalent in European farming systems. Here, vegetation structure and crop management greatly differ from conventional crops and may ... [more ▼]

Over the last decade, nonfood perennial crops have been increasingly prevalent in European farming systems. Here, vegetation structure and crop management greatly differ from conventional crops and may likely impact farmland birds. Impacts on birds have been examined for bioenergy agricultural systems, such as miscanthus plantations and short rotation willow coppice. In Europe, the extend of Christmas tree plantations (CTP) has recently increased dramatically in farmland but their impacts on farmland birds remains largely unknown. We examined the extent to which CTP in southern Belgium alter bird species assemblages compared to traditional farmland. The presence and abundance of birds were recorded twice during a breeding season in randomly selected sites located in farmland areas with and without CTP. Results show that the conversion of traditional farmland into CTP modifies bird species assemblages and locally increases bird diversity and density without inducing biotic homogenization. This observed pattern indicates that CTP might constitute an interesting alternative habitat for farmland birds. However bird presence or abundance may be confounding indicator of habitat quality because individuals may be attracted to low-quality habitats in human modified landscapes. The European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola was chosen as a model species to investigate the quality of CTP as a breeding habitat in more details. Habitat quality in CTP was assessed with measures of reproductive success and survival. These measures were compared with those collected in traditional farmland. Although vegetation structure, field management and nest placement are highly different between habitat types, our first results suggest that CTP are not of lesser quality than traditional farmland for the European Stonechat. [less ▲]

Over the last decade, nonfood perennial crops have been increasingly prevalent in European farming systems. Here, vegetation structure and crop management greatly differ from conventional crops and may ... [more ▼]

Over the last decade, nonfood perennial crops have been increasingly prevalent in European farming systems. Here, vegetation structure and crop management greatly differ from conventional crops and may likely impact farmland birds. Impacts on birds have been examined for bioenergy agricultural systems, such as miscanthus plantations and short rotation willow coppice. In Europe, the extend of Christmas tree plantations (CTP) has recently increased dramatically in farmland but their impacts on farmland birds remains largely unknown. We examined the extent to which CTP in southern Belgium alter bird species assemblages compared to traditional farmland. The presence and abundance of birds were recorded twice during a breeding season in randomly selected sites located in farmland areas with and without CTP. Results show that the conversion of traditional farmland into CTP modifies bird species assemblages and locally increases bird diversity and density without inducing biotic homogenization. This observed pattern indicates that CTP might constitute an interesting alternative habitat for farmland birds. However bird presence or abundance may be confounding indicator of habitat quality because individuals may be attracted to low-quality habitats in human modified landscapes. The European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola was chosen as a model species to investigate the quality of CTP as a breeding habitat in more details. Habitat quality in CTP was assessed with measures of reproductive success and survival. These measures were compared with those collected in traditional farmland. Although vegetation structure, field management and nest placement are highly different between habitat types, our first results suggest that CTP are not of lesser quality than traditional farmland for the European Stonechat. [less ▲]

Middle Spotted Woodpecker is one of the key species for which understanding the relationship with its habitat can have important implications for improving biodiversity-friendly management of hardwood ... [more ▼]

Middle Spotted Woodpecker is one of the key species for which understanding the relationship with its habitat can have important implications for improving biodiversity-friendly management of hardwood forests. This species is considered as an indicator of a forest ecosystem comprising a high proportion of mature trees and a botanical composition chiefly associated with oaks. For the last two decades, the Middle Spotted Woodpecker distribution range is expanding remarkably in the Walloon Region while, in contrast, other populations are either decreasing in the south-east of Europe or remain stable elsewhere in Europe. The study of this expansion range within the Walloon Region and of the forest habitats used therein is necessary to better assess the ecological requirements of the species. Based on more than 3,000 location data collected in the framework of the Atlas of breeding birds between 2001 and 2007, our study aimed at comparing forest habitats occupied by Middle Spotted Wood peckers between three geographically distinct areas, defined on the basis of the temporal evolution of the species’ distribution in the Walloon Region: the old distribution range, described from 1973-1977 and corresponding to the Ardennes and the Lorraine regions (southern Belgium), the transition range, defined in 1991-1992 and corresponding to the Fagne-Famenne region, and the expansion range, described in 2001-2007 and corresponding to the area colonized further north in the Loess region and Condroz. Overall, 418 woodpecker locations were crossed with 41 forest habitat variables available as part of the Regional Forest Inventory of the Walloon Region (IPRFW). Preliminary results suggest that, in agreement with previously known environmental requirements, forest stands presenting high densities in oak trees have been colonized by the Middle Spotted Woodpecker during its recent range expansion. However, the species is also expanding towards areas with a lower proportion of beech trees compared to the old distribution range, with a marked preference for forest stands presenting a high tree diversity. We conclude that the Middle Spotted Woodpecker may exhibit a certain flexibility regarding its habitats requirements in Walloon forests, which led us to suggest several recommendations aimed at promoting the conservation of the species and of the forest biodiversity in general. [less ▲]

Brucella spp. are gram-negative intracellular facultative pathogens that are known to produce 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA), a catechol siderophore that is essential for full virulence in the natural ... [more ▼]

Brucella spp. are gram-negative intracellular facultative pathogens that are known to produce 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA), a catechol siderophore that is essential for full virulence in the natural host. The mechanism of DHBA entry into Brucella and other gram-negative bacteria is poorly understood. Using mini-Tn5Kmcat mutagenesis, we created a transposon library of Brucella melitensis 16M and isolated 32 mutants with a defect in iron acquisition or assimilation. Three of these transposon mutants are deficient in utilization of DHBA. Analysis of these three mutants indicated that the ExbB, DstC, and DugA proteins are required for optimal assimilation of DHBA and/or citrate. ExbB is part of the Ton complex, and DstC is a permease homologue of an iron(III) ABC transporter; in gram-negative bacteria these two complexes are involved in the uptake of iron through the outer and inner membranes, respectively. DugA is a new partner in iron utilization that exhibits homology with the bacterial conserved GTPase YchF. Based on this homology, DugA could have a putative regulatory function in iron assimilation in Brucella. None of the three mutants was attenuated in cellular models or in the mouse model of infection, which is consistent with the previous suggestion that DHBA utilization is not required in these models. [less ▲]